Means for cleaning fluid-conducting pipes



Mar. 27, 1923 c. HULSMEYER MEANS FOR CLEANING FLUID CONDUCTING PIPESFiled Aug. 51, 1921 [NVENI'OIL- CHRIST?" ZLSMEYER. mus).

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITEDv ST CHRISTIAN HIILSMEYER, F DUSSELDORF, GERMANY,

MEANS FOR CLEANING FLUID-CONDUCTING PIPES.

Application filed August 31, 1921. Serial No. 497,254.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT.. L,1313.)

To all 20 hom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN HTL LSMEYER,a citizen of the German Republic, and resident of Dusseldorf, Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Improved MeansApplicable to Heat-Interchanging Devices for Cleaning Fluid-ConductingPipes (for which I have filed applications in Germany, October 9, 1916,and December 5, 1916; Belgium, March 24, 1921; France, March 26. 1921;Great Britain, March 21, 1921; and Italy, March 29, 1921), of which thefollowing is a specification.

In heat-interchanging and refrigeratlng plants such as exhaust steamheaters, smoke heaters, economizers, refrigerators, surface condensersand the like, the interchange of heat is usually effected by means ofliquid flowing through pipes, which absorbs heat and discharges ordistributes the same by circulation. In most cases said stream of liquiddeposits or settles a film of sludge or mud within the pipes, whichsediment will progressively become a crust, unless the fihn of sludge isremoved in due time in any well known way, either mechanically or by theincrease of the velocity of the stream of liquid. To this end the pipesare frequently cleaned in a mechanical way by means of rubbers, drillsor scrapers, which requires the stopping of the operation of saidplants. However in rinsing the pipes by the increase of the velocity ofthe stream of liquid, it is not necessary to stop the operation, but theapparatus may be arranged and constructed in such a way that more thanthe normal amount of water can be passed through the same. A specialspare or cleansing pump may be used to causethe extra flow of waterthrough the apparatus.

For existing plants the last named means is the most practical. But inmany cases water is supplied by means of centrifugal pumps. thedischarge from which decreases this is a well known factas soon as theresistance is increased by the addition of the discharge from a secondpump. Another objection is in the fact that in cooling plants the mud orsludge in the water settles within the trickling troughs of the coolingtowers.

According to my present invention which relates to means, applicable toheat interchanging devices, for cleaning fluid conducting pipes andrinsing the same by the temporary increase of the velocity of fluid,

I make use of a jet apparatus, by the connectionof which a pumpsupplying said fluid will be assisted.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an example of practicalembodiment of my invention comprising a jet apparatus inserted into abranch pipe.

r The necessary amount of cooling water is supplied to the surfacecondenser a by the centrifugal pump 6, such cooling water beingconducted through a discharge pipe 0 that water may flow only from thedischarge I pipe towards the inlet of the condenser.

Arranged within the branch pipe 6 is a jet apparatus 9 having an annularnozzle mouth and adapted to be operated by means of steam or water underpressure. As shown in the drawings the discharge pipe 0 is divided intotwo branch pipes, the ascending one it of which leading to the coolingtower, whilst the extension 11 leads into the cool water tank. v

The plant normally operates in such a way that cooling water is forcedby the pump 7) through the pipe d into the cone denser a, from which itis discharged through c, whereupon it will be led through the uprightpipe it into the cooling tower, whence it will flow into the cool watertank m, from which the pump Z) sucks it through a pipe provided with arose. A pipe z controlled by a valve 70 leads from. pipe 0 di-' rectlyinto the tank m. j I

In normal operation no water flows through the branch pipe 6 and theextension pipe 2' is closed by means of the sliding valve k. If it isdesired to rinse the tubes of the condenser for cleaning purposes, thejet apparatus 9 will be supplied with steam or pressure water through afeed pipe Z connected to the same, the suction produced by saidapparatus causing the check-valve 'f to be opened, whereby water will besucked through the branch pipe 6 from the discharge pipe 0, such waterbeing supplied by the jet apparatus 9 under correspondingly increasedpressure to the pipe d of the condenser, producing an injectorlikeeffect owing to the acute-angled connection between the branch pipe 6and the inlet pipe (Z. As the jet apparatus 9 sucks water from the pipe6 and forces the same into (Z, it is obvious that said apparatus hasmerely to furnish the work of circulation. In order to prevent the mudor sludge detached by the rinsing from being brought upon the tricklingsurfaces of the cooling tower, the pipe 72/ will be shut off and theslide valve is will be opened, whereby the cooling water will bedischarged directly into the storage tank. In this way such water willnot be cooled, but as the rinsing operation will be complete after ashort time, this will not be objectionable for the normal operation,especially because the velocity of cooling water will be increased atthis time. The shutting off of the ascending pipe it has also theadvantage, that the pump will thus be released from a considerablemanometric resistance, whereby the capacity of said pump may beincreased in certain limits to enhance the rinsing action.

The jet apparatus may also be arranged in any other suitable way: forinstance said apparatus may be arranged directly in the discharge pipe0, thus avoiding the use of a branch pipe 6, so that said apparatus willsuck water from the condenser and force the same through the pipes 72 or2'.

The present device enables more than the normal amount of water to beforced through the condenser without producing prejudicial or excessivepressure within the same. As the circulating water is taken from thedischarge pipe 0, it is obvious that prejudicial back pressure on thewater pump and therefore the decrease of its capacity will be avoided.The use of steam as a jet producing agent has the advantage that thecirculating water will be further heated, and it is well known that hotwater acts as a dissolvant particularly on slimy or like sediments. Inas much as the heating of the water might be prejudicial to thecondensation, the rinsing of the condenser will be effected at themoment the plant works under reduced charge. Furthermore only a smallamount of steam is required for the circulation according to theshortcircuited resistances of the movement.

By the use of the simple means in the form of a jet apparatus forassisting the pump, the application of the rinsing method for thecleaning of the tubes will be possible to the greatest extent. Bysuitably selecting the strength of'the supply jet the velocity of therinsing stream .-required for the respective kind of sediment, may beadjusted within wide limits for detaching sediments deposited within thetubes of heat interchanging devices. The arrangement described may alsobe applied to tubular steam boilers of locomotives for the purpose ofcleaning the heating tubes thereof and removing soot therefrom.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a heatinterchanging device having an inlet pipe, a discharge pipe and a pump,of means for temporarily increasing the velocity of fluid through thepipes of said heat interchanging device, comprising a branch pipeconnecting the discharge pipe and the inlet pipe, and meanscommunicating with said pipe for creating a flow of fluid through thebranch pipe towards the inlet pipe.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a heatinterchanging device, a pump, and an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe forthe said device, of means for temporarily increasing the velocity offluid through said heat interchanging device comprising a branch pipeconnecting said inlet and discharge pipes, and a jet apparatus insertedinto said branch pipe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a heatinterchanging device, a pump, and an inlet pipe and a discharge pipe forthe said device, of means for temporarily increasing the velocity offluid through said heat interchanging device comprising a branch pipeconnecting said inlet and discharge pipes, a suitable jet apparatusinserted into said branch pipe, and a check-valve provided in saidbranch pipe and opening in the direction of the circulating stream,substantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a heatinterchanging apparatus, a pump, an inlet pipe and a dis charge pipe forsaid apparatus, a cooling tower suitably connected to said apparatus,and a water storage tank, of means for temporarily increasing thevelocity of fluid through said heat interchanging device comprising asuitable jet apparatus associated with said pump, and means for reducingthe friction resistances produced by the acceleration of water duringthe rinsing operation including a valved bypass to the storage tank,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

CHRISTIAN HULSMEYER.

